Cocks' crests with beer help Bertie `degress' into relaxed Elysee chats

Bertie and Jacques drank beer with their Crete de Coq and Rognons de Coq, followed by lamb and chocolate gateau. Cock's crests and kidneys may be an unusual delicacy for the Taoiseach's entourage, but then we all know the French eat odd things. Despite the stiff formality of Republican Guards brandishing sabres and rifles with bayonets, despite the dining room dripping with gold stucco, mirrors and chandeliers, the ambience at the Taoiseach's working lunch with President Chirac was by all accounts warm and fuzzy.

Although Mr Chirac responded in French, he rarely asked for Mr Ahern's English to be translated. Judging by the width of the table between them, it was amazing they could hear one another at all. The Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine, sat on the Taoiseach's right and Mr Patrick O'Connor, the Irish Ambassador to France, sat next to Mr Chirac. After some commiseration about the weather, the conversation turned to the Agenda 2000 talks on an EU budget for the next six years.

The German proposal for national and Brussels co-financing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) "moved off our radar screen", the Taoiseach told journalists at the Irish Embassy later. Instead, Mr Chirac tried to explain the French concept of "degressivity" - a doctorate in 18th century French philosophy might help in understanding it. Bertie came away with the conclusion that degressivity "is not a problem as a system" if enough Irish farmers can be exempted from the price cuts.

EU structural and cohesion funds "have done the job they were supposed to do" by pulling Ireland from 50 to 85 per cent of the average EU GDP. "But my contention is that we are not up as far as we should be," the Taoiseach said. He made his best pitch for a seven-year transition period with a mid-term review. Jealous of Ireland's phenomenal growth rate and falling unemployment, the French were not convinced.

At the Elysee and later at an equally sympathique session with Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, all agreed the late March deadline for settling the EU budget should be respected. Although the leaders did not discuss vulgar figures or the finer details, Irish dairy farmers can rest assured Paris will support them in the battle against the Italian, Austrian and Finnish scheme to increase quotas for mountain farmers. Dublin finds the proposal discriminatory, since Ireland has no mountains high enough to qualify.